“We’re #2!” Rangers join special group in The Elite Runnersup Club

Over the next few weeks, Rangers’ fans will find every possible reason that the team didn’t win the World Series for the second straight year.

The manager did this, the manager didn’t do that. The general manager should have made that trade or should have signed this player. If this, if that.

Regardless, the Rangers are in a quandary. Can they possibly beat the tremendous odds and return to the World Series for a third straight year? Honestly, how long can those Eastern Division powers like the Yankees and Red Sox be boxed out of the big game? Surely one of the other 13 teams — oops, 14 in 2013 — can beat ’em out, right?

Either way, the Rangers are threatening to join some elite company, if they haven’t already.

Let’s just call it The Elite Runnersup Club. Here’s a partial list of those who finished second. Indeed, some on this list finally hit the big time, but will forever be associated with their second-place finishes.

Buffalo Bills. From 1991-94, the Bills were the cream of the AFC crop. But they were runners up in the big game, losing four straight Super Bowls.

Alydar. Remember this one? In one of the great Triple Crown chases of all time, Affirmed beat Alydar in each of the three races — by a combined total of less than three lengths.

Star Wars. Yes, believe it or not, this movie was second in the Best Picture sweepstakes at the Academy Awards. Despite raking in $775 million and building a movie empire, it was second. Remember which movie won the award that year? Yeah, I had to look it up too.

Susan Lucci. Perhaps the most famous runner up of all time. Of course, she finally won the award, but how many times was the soap opera actress second in the Best Actress category?

M*A*S*H was the highest ranked TV program this century. Remember which one was ranked second? See how easy it is to forget those runners up?

Butler. The two-time runnerup and current “defending” runnerup champion in college basketball’s Final Four. Can they pull off a three-peat?

William Jennings Bryan. He lost several races for the presidency, but was a three-time loser in general elections (1896, 1900, 1908).

Certainly, the Rangers can take solace in a pennant and the fact they were better than the rest of the American League for the last two years. You know, though, that everyone will hearken back to Game 6 and some of the moves, non-moves and what ifs for generations to come.

And, just in case you think second place isn’t so bad, answer these questions:

Who did the Mets beat in the 1986 World Series.

Which team finished second in the 1980 Olympic men’s hockey competition?

Green Bay won the first two Super Bowls. Can you name either of the two losers?

Who did Muhammad Ali beat in the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle?

Nolan Ryan is the career leader in strikeouts, Pete Rose leads in hits and Rickey Henderson in stolen bases. Any idea who is second in each category?

For now, though, the question is: Will they join teams like the Bills or Alydar as perennial runnersup or will they somehow push through and claim the so far elusive ring?